ORLANDO — It appears Ed Davis comes out of nowhere as he grabs nearly every loose ball and rebound imaginable.

It appears Davis can compete through any circumstance, including a recently broken nose and a fluctuating starting and reserve role, without complaints.

It appears Davis represents the ideal role player that would fit into the Lakers’ future, his career-high 58 percent shooting and 7.3 rebounds per game explaining why coach Byron Scott and teammates gush about the 25-year-old’s presence.

“He plays hard and he knows his role,” Scott said of Davis. “He does so many things to make himself better and to make us better.”

The Lakers (13-36) have 33 more regular-season games, including Friday’s contest against the Orlando Magic (15-37) at Amway Center, to evaluate Davis’ worth. It seems inevitable the Lakers will have to see how other teams perceive his value, too.

Davis said in an interview with the Los Angeles News Group that he will opt out of his player option worth around $1 million that would secure his Lakers’ future for the 2015-16 season for one specific reason.

“I’m hoping for a long-term deal,” said Davis, who has until June 25 before formally deciding his move. “I’d love to return here. I know this will turn around eventually.”

The Lakers may keep Davis. But it appears their offseason priority involves the NBA draft and attracting a marquee star once free agency begins July 1. Of course, Davis’ future could hinge on what offers he attracts from other teams.

Davis has switched agents from Kobe Bryant’s representative Rob Pelinka to Leon Rose, whom Davis will defer to on weighing whether to take an offer from the highest bidder or accept a hometown discount with the Lakers to secure a multi-year contract. Davis said he “definitely” understands the risk that move entails.

“This is definitely my first option,” Davis said of the Lakers. “They’re a team that gave me a look last summer when not too many teams were calling. This is definitely where I want to be at. Hopefully I can stay here for the rest of my career.”

Davis has offered a solid first impression.

He grabbed 20 rebounds in Wednesday’s loss in Milwaukee, becoming the ninth Lakers player in the past 20 years to accomplish such a feat. Davis has shot 62.2 percent from the field on attempts within 5 feet by consistently diving to the basket off pick-and-rolls and converting off putbacks. He has posted three double-doubles and grabbed at least 10 rebounds in nine contests. Even when Davis does not positively impact the box score, the Lakers still sense he positively impacts them.

“He’s an active player,” Lakers forward Carlos Boozer said. “Some games he’ll give us 15 points. Some games he’ll give us four blocks. He just gave us 20 rebounds. He always finds a way to affect the game. That’s why we have to have him on the floor.”

That also explains why the Lakers signed Davis last summer to a two-year, $2 million deal.

Even before Lakers rookie forward Julius Randle suffered a season-ending injury to his right leg, the Lakers envisioned leaning on Davis. He averaged only five points and four rebounds in 15 minutes through two seasons in Memphis amid a bloated backcourt with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. But Davis’ third season in Toronto saw him average a career-high 9.7 points in 24.5 minutes.

Davis has proven this season he has become effective regardless of his playing time. Consider the relative similarities in his numbers, both as a starter and a reserve, in scoring average (8.8 points per game, 7.3 points per game), field-goal percentage (56.8 percent, 60.3 percent), rebounds (6.8, 7.8) and minutes (26.1, 22.1).

“If I play 30 minutes or 10 minutes, I’m going to play hard every game,” Davis said. “Whatever roles they want me to play, I’ll fill it. I’m always hungry. But I’m going to be ready whenever I step out on the court.”

And after playing for six different coaches through five NBA seasons, Davis craves the stability in playing for Scott. Davis prefers that even if it seems inevitable the Lakers’ roster next season will look different. Only Bryant, Randle, Ryan Kelly and Nick Young have guaranteed contracts for the 2015-16 season, leaving the Lakers with as many as 11 roster spots to fill. Davis hopes he fills one of those.

“I like the people in this organization. I definitely like my teammates and the coaching staff. They’re good people,” Davis said. “I hope I can come back and I hope I can call this home.”

Mark Medina has been the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News since 2012. He also works as a Lakers insider for AM570 and is heard on national radio outlets, including The Dan Patrick Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Chris Mannix Show, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Yahoo! Sports Radio and SB Nation Radio. Medina also appears frequently on Spectrum SportsNet and NBC4's "Going Roggin."

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